China's tobacco smoking epidemic: prevalence, illness load, obstacles, and future plans

Abstract

China accounts for almost one-third of worldwide tobacco production and consumption, and despite current tobacco control efforts, the smoking rate remains frighteningly high, with 350 million smokers and 740 million passive smokers. Alarmingly, more young people and women are becoming smokers. With 1.2 million fatalities linked to tobacco use each year, the related mortality rate is startling, and estimates indicate that number will rise to 2 million by 2025. The tobacco industry's strong opposition, sociocultural factors that encourage smoking start, a lack of public knowledge about the dangers of smoking, and insufficient government backing are all blamed for the ineffectiveness of the present tobacco control policies. Government commitments are required in order to carry out effective and urgent intervention activities. It is imperative to take comprehensive action at several levels, such as lowering the availability of tobacco products, raising taxes on tobacco products, improving public health education, restricting tobacco advertising, lowering secondhand smoke exposure, and offering strong support for quitting smoking. To address this important public health issue, the healthcare community should take the lead in anti-tobacco initiatives and actively participate in smoking cessation programs.